The Great Pumpkin: Nutritional Benefits for Our Pets…And Us!

  Posted on November 5, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

Halloween brought focus to the pumpkin….ah yes, carving a scary Jack-O-Lantern is a tradition in many households, but did you know pumpkin is a lot more than just something to carve?

Pumpkin has many health benefits for our pets, such as:

• Helping with weight management.  Pumpkin has a lot of fiber and not a lot of calories, so putting a spoonful in with your pet’s normal food can help him feel full longer.
• Helping with digestion and elimination.  As I mentioned above, pumpkin does have a high fiber content, so if your pet is suffering from constipation, adding pumpkin to his diet will help.  Pumpkin can also help if your pet has digestive upset/diarrhea.  This applies for both cats and dogs, by the way.
• Also, if your dog has a habit of “scooting”, adding pumpkin will aid in reducing the anal sac buildup that causes dogs to scoot.
• Helps support urinary health.  Pumpkins contain oils that help support urinary health.  They’re also a good source of antioxidants, Vitamin A and beta-carotine.

Be sure to feed your pet unsweetened pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix.  The mix has added sugar that pets don’t need.

Tomorrow I’ll share a recipe for pumpkin dog treats that many dogs love!